Two amazing events occurred at almost the same time and radically changed the future for humankind. In and around the Fertile Crescent in Western Asia and other equally promising edens, agriculture was developed . In the eastern steppes and the southern deserts animal husbandry was perfected. These two events introduced food surplus into the lives of humans for the first time.

With this surplus (none dared call it capital) an element of control of future events came within the grasp of humans. No longer totally subject to the vagaries of the hunt or caprices of nature, these Late Bronze age stalwarts yearned to leap forward after a million years of restraint. Great possibilities were presented them for trade, for travel, for smiting and smoting of rivals and nothing could hold them back

Nothing, that is, except human biology of the female kind. The distaff members were proud of accomplishing, mainly through their efforts, the bountiful crops that filled the newly built granaries that had sprung up all about them. They noticed a tendency for males to be impatient now of needs that are mammalian in nature and part of reality. The high flying gents were annoyed that the ladies still had a certain something that kept the guys from lording it over them and all of creation. Why, oh why, must we go to them for our needs and let them make decisions.

So a relationship that had been fair and equal between the sexes since they labored together to evolve in the wilderness and then learn to build permanent settlements was compromised. Males were to be lord and master and females lesser. The species long equal partnership was thereby dissolved and females were to become chattel. The battle was on and the outcome soon settled and the gender relationship remains to this day a Stockholm Syndrome in which a captive, in time, comes to be fond of and even love her captor.

The fundamental natural relationship which exists between the sexes in all of animal life is now missing in action in humankind. The balance, harmony and respect of gender differences is gone from us. From that fateful time until now, through these thousands of years of human existence, all major decisions affecting humankind, including life and death matters, are decided by males. Even the simple courtesy of inclusion of females for the appearance of equality is not deemed necessary. The notion of changing this imbalance rarely reaches the level of serious discussion in male circles of influence. So…

The tale ends here.

{Narrative to be resumed when the species, by default, nears extinction.}

I’ve lived in America all of my eighty five years and my family has lived here much longer. Back in the day we did all the early American stuff. Kept slaves, killed Indians, Red Coats, Moslems, Mexicans, Yanks and/or Rebs, Spaniards; you know the list. We wrote the history books so it all seemed to make good sense; somehow. It’s just what one did, hereabouts, back in the day.

Closer to my time we started to raise the ante a bit. That business with Spain gave a taste of what we could be if we were to expand the franchise a tad; maybe more than a tad. Those pretty, and lucrative, little Spanish islands we took over were tempting us to have more; ever more. Why be stay-at-homes; forget G. Washington! There’s a big world out there. The entire century, the 20th, was an American strategic effort with mostly poor results. Insularity exerting itself unbidden; George’s revenge ? Perhaps.

Enter the coming of age century. The big 21st! Can we handle it? Grow up at last? Fat chance. A few guys blow up our stuff. Oh my, tantrum time. Ongoing, ever ongoing. Wet work all over the place. Mideast in shambles. Overspending big time. Domestic pain. DC resembling the Pol Pot on steroids. Half the GDP now in dead or zombie money locked up in midasville until doomsday. Tomorrow?

Then, a national election i.e. the rug being pulled from under a sand castle mounted on lemon jello. Oops! Didn’t know it might all fall apart. Should have known about the odds. We were told of only 17 years of peace in the 241 years since 1776 and hoped maybe 2017 would be the lucky number 18, but no. In my time I’ve run the gamut of red, white and blue emotions. Old fashioned patriotism, worry, hope, despair, doubt and pride of country. Now my most solemn emotion seems to reflect the national scene as it doubtless appears in the eyes of the world …embarrassment.

Here’s an example of another conversation that has probably never occurred in human history. She, wide-eyed and trembling with anticipation, says to him that she has never seen such a wondrous phallus. He replies that it was given him by his mom on his birth day. An acknowledgement or even the understanding of such reality is beyond the capacity of most men. That their prize possession was given them by a woman, OMG! But then, they often spend half a lifetime trying to give it back

Because our species is mammalian, one segment is capable of taking advantage of a surplus of biological time not available to the other; i.e. the time females spend in menstruation, pregnancy and lactation. These mammalian requirements could, and apparently did, lead to the male segment’s use of this unearned surplus of leisure time to the detriment of the female and ultimately shaped all human destiny.

We have increasingly become aware of FGM, female genital mutilation, and in regions where prevalent it is said to have originated in Africa. Indeed that apparently is the case. During the era when Arabs were hunting and capturing Africans for the slave trade, they stumbled upon a tribe in South Africa, the Khoi, also called Hottentot. Those upstanding true believers were stunned by what they found. The Khoi women manipulated the genitalia of female infants from birth. In time the clitoris might attain a length of 2, possibly 3 inches and the labia grew accordingly. The results were threatening enough that the macho Arabs were sore afraid it might influence their women. The rest is history but history twisted so as to have female genital mutilation seen as having sacred aspect and not as being a terrified male invention.

Ten millennia of increasingly complex human behaviors have been superimposed on a primeval, stunted, near crippling imbalance between the sexes. One result is male control, ranging from near to total, over the actions and privileges of females. In modern terms what has happened to females is known as the Stockholm Syndrome. In it captives acquiesce over time to fondness, even love for their captors. At no major societal level, where input could decide outcome, is the female given equality.

But sadly, this statement or any other expressing similar opinions, receives outright rejection from a huge portion of male society. Males, who on other subjects are receptive, even progressive in their attitudes concerning fairness and balance, cannot accept true equality between the sexes. Therefore we grope about blindly layering more societal complexities on a skewed system with predictable results.

Every human undertaking thus far attempted thrives for a time and then fails. Nothing lasts and probably nothing will under these biased circumstances. A glance at history should convince anyone that we are not behaving at all as an admirable, wholesome species; we are at best a clever one. Our sincerest efforts fail and the result is to attempt ever more of the same. A species out of balance with its own nature should not expect to be successful.

Our record as a peace loving nation is not anything like the image we have been led to believe. According to The Free Thought Project http://thefreethoughtproject.com/about-us/ America has been at war for 224 of the last 241 years since 1776. If their calculations are accurate, perhaps you are as astounded as I am. This is the most incredible information I have received in years and frankly I don’t know how to handle it. Is anything I have ever been taught, read about or learned from media been even close to honestly describing my nation’s basic nature in light of this indictment?

The Free Thought Project goes on to say that all wars are bankers’ wars and they profit from both sides. Perhaps this is so but the bankers must have had willing helpers. How did we manage to sleepwalk for two plus centuries with dreams of “the city on a hill”, our “exceptional nation” etc etc and quite freely disparage others for their war making proclivities without getting wise to it all?

This line from D.H.Lawrence in his graphic novel “Quetzalcoatl” charges Mexico and other governments with encouraging our nefarious actions. “Of course money-lovers will want the United States Government, because it’s the one government that exists simply and solely to protect money.”

These are damning accusations and, if factual, leave most of our current event agonies banal and trivial in comparison. All future Op Eds should also come with the caveat: {If the Free Thought Project calculations are incorrect then this opinion is meaningful}

So then, next year for sure; 2018, the big 18. The 18th year without a war since 1776. Can we do it guys? Will we even try?